Spudding shoe



Feb. 26, 1924. 1,485,339

D. w. UBER SPUDDING SHOE Filed June 16, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb, 26 1924. 1,485,339

D. W. UBER SPUDDING SHOE Filed June 16, 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pat n d Fe .26, 1924.

UNITED STATES DAN W. UBER, F SHEFFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. T0 IMOSEB; MANUFACTUB- IN'G- COMPANY, OF KANE, PENNSYI4VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA..

SPUDD ING SHOE.

Application filed June 1S, 1922. Serial N0. 568,768.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAN WJUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sheffield, in the county of WVarren and State of 6 Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in spudding Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvement'in 10 what is knownin the oil-well drilling art, as

a spuddingshoe.

' The spudding in, is the preliminary step in'starting an oil-well, and is the operation in which the spudding shoe is used It is well known in the artthat the major portion of the drilling of anoil-well is accomplished by the use of a walking-beam. In the spudding in operation the Walkingbeam cannot be used on account ofthe drilling tools being-too longto be positioned between the walking=beamand the ground, and it"is therefore necessary to suspend the tools from the crown pulley at the top of the drilling derrick, in place of the walking-beam,

and to provide means for alternately raising and dropping the tools 1 until a suffi cient'depth has been provided in the hole being drilled to receive the whole length of the drilling tools,'and to admit of the cable suspending the tools, to be attached to the temper-screw projecting downwardly from the walking beain, when the drilling movement'to the'tools can'be' imparted by the walking beam.-

For alternatinglyraising'and lowering the drilling tools when suspended from the crown pulley, a jerk-line is used, connected atthe one end to a rotating crank, with" its other end connected to the spudding shoe 40 which is placed in engagement with the cable suspending the drilling tools. As the, crank rotates it causes a reciprocal movement of the spudding shoe,in substantially a horizontal plane, causingxa reciprocal movement to the cable suspending the drilling tools.

This movement of the spudding'shoe on the cable, creates friction, and tends-to wear out the cable.

The reduction of friction, as well as pro viding more efiicient means in carrying out the spudding-in -process,; are the objects attained by i the use of my improvedform of spudding shoe.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood; the same consistsin the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, to

drilling rig, with parts broken away.

7 Fig.2, is a side elevation of-the'shoe, illustrating a section off the drilling cable: applied thereto.

' Fig. 3, is a front elevation of the invention shown in Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4, is 'a longitudinal sectional View,

Fig. 5, is a view in cross section at the up- 1 per end, and

Fig. 6, is a view in cross section atshackle.

Referring more in detail to the drawings: 1 is the drilling rig or derrick used to hoist the drilling tools,-2 is thedrilling cable by which the tools are suspended. The cable 2 passes over the crown pulley 3 at the top of the derrick and thence down to winding drum 4, attached tothe bull-wheel'5. The jerk line 6, is attached at the one end'to the rotating crank 7 and at the opposite end to the shackle 8, which is connected to the stub shaft 9, passing through the centre of the spudding'shoe member 10. I

- The spudding shoe 10' engages the drilling cable at the bight formed near the winding drum 4, and as the crank 7 is caused -130 rotate the'j'erk line will convey a raising and lowering movement to the cable suspending the drilling tools. To restrict the'shoe 10 from ridingupwardly on the cable 2, there is attached to the shackle end of the jerk line 6', the anchor line 11, the opposite end of'which is made fast to the floor of the derrick.

The spuddingshoe member 10, is com-' posed ofmetal and is formed with a'rec tangular shaped groove at its cable engaging face; The bottom wall 12 of the grooveand the faces '13 of the outwardly projecting flanges 14 forming the groove are sectoral in formation to conform to the arc of the bight of the cable, adapted to be interposed between the flanges 1 1.

Located centrally in the shoe member 10 is the shaft hole, adapted to receive the stub shaft 9. The ends of the shaft 9 project outside of the hole, and engage the hooks on the ends of the shackle 8. To prevent the stub shaft from turning in the hooks and causing wear, the projecting ends of the stub shaft 9 are formed with a fiat surface adapted to engage a similar surface within the hook members.

Interposed between the flanges 14, are positioned a plurality of concave faced rollers 15, mounted for rotative movement on the studs 16. The studs 16 pass through and are suitably attached to the flanges 14 against rotative movement.

The rollers 15 form important features of my invention, and are adapted to reduce the wear on the cable, and to facilitate the movement of the cable thereon in the operation of the jerk line.

In the ordinary type of spudding shoe, there is groove in which the cable slides during the operation of the jerk line. This sliding movement of the spudding shoe upon the cable creates excessive friction and tends to wear out the cable. In the use of iron or steel cables the groove in the spudding shoe also wears, and causes the sides of the groove to become thin and 'to form sharp edges that have a tendency to chafe and cut the cable strands. This chafing of .the cable by its contact with the edges of the shoe is prevalent due to the peculiar movement given to the shoe by the alternating jerking and slackening of the jerk line, causing the cable to occasionally jump out of the groove.

I overcome this difficulty by providing improved means for retaining the cable within the shoe. comprising a hinged mem ber 19, adapted to be positioned over and bridge the space between the flanges 14, and to he detachably locked into position. At-

' tached to the hinge member 19 is a cable hearing member 20 mounted upon studs 21 projecting from the hinged member 19. Located between the bearing member 20 and the hinged member 19, and surrounding the studs 21, are e il springs 22 adapted to yieldingly hold the bearing member 20 against the cable interposed between the bearing member 20 and the rollers 15, when the hinged member 19 is locked into position.

For the purposes of locking the member 19 into fixed position, I employ the lever 23, upon which is fulcrumed the stirrup 24,

which engages the catch 25, positioned on the back of the hinged member 19, a form of locking means well known in the art.

The hinged member 19, with the method of mounting the bearing member 20 there on, also forms a friction device to create friction on the cable and to prevent the shoe from racing up and down the cable should any slack or loose line develop in the drilling operations.

By my improved methodof mounting the bearing member 20, a variation in the pres sure thereof on the cable may be provided for by substituting springs 22 of varying degrees of resiliency. The bearing member 20 may be composed of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and due to my improved method of attachment, may be readily renewed, or hearing members of di ferent material may be substituted as will be found best adapted to use with either hemp or steel cables. 7

From the detailed description of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the spudding shoe may be readily positioned upon the drilling cable and lockingly held in place thereon.

While the form of the invention herein disclosed represents the present preferred embodiment, it will be understood that modifications therein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

iVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A spudding shoe having a cable bearing comprising rotatable members, and means for holding the cable in contact with said members.

2. A spudding shoe having a cable hearing comprising a plurality of rotatable members and means for holding the cable -in yielding contact against said members.

3. A spudding shoe having a recessed cable engaging face comprising two outwardly projecting ledges, a plurality of rotatable cable bearing members interposed between said ledges, and means for maintaining a cable in yielding contact with said bearing members.

i. A spudding shoe having a plurality of rotatable cable bearing surfaces and having an entrance opening for the well drilling cable formed with a closure therefor.

5. A spudding shoe having a cable hearing surface composed of rotatable members, and having an entrance opening for the well drilling cable formed with a closing member for said entrance adapted to apply a yielding contact with said cable.

6. A spudding shoe having a cable hearing surface and having an entrance opening for a well drilling cable formed with a closure member therefor adapted to maintain the cable in yielding contact with the bearing surface.

7. A spudding shoe of the character described comprising a cable bearing surface having an entrance for a well drilling cable thereto, a closure-member adapted to be lockingly held oversaid entrance formed with a cable friction member yieldingly held in members, and means for varying the resistretracted position against said cable. ance of said yielding contact. 7 1

8. A spudding shoe having a recessed In testimony whereof I have affixed my cable engaging face comprising two outsignature in the presence of'two Witnesses.

5 wardly projecting ledges, a plurality of ro- DAN W. UBER.

tatable cable bearing members interposed bel/Vitnesses: tween said ledges, means for maintaining ROSE DULY,

a cable in yielding contact with said bearing DOROTHY CAREY. 

